Velocipede-brake



(No Model.)v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. B. JEFFERY.

VBLOGIPEDE BRAKE.

No. 4Qo,s43. Pawn-pad Mar. 26, 1889. l-gfnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn cV (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2r T.B. JEFPBRY. VBLOGIPEDB BBAKE.

No. 400,343. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

N. PETERS, Pnmumuguphm wumngmn. 0.1;

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIIOB'IAS I. JEFFERY, OF RAVENSIVOOD, ILLINOIS.

`vE| oc|PEDE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,343, dated March26, 1889.

Application filed June 14,1888. Serial No. 277,036. (No model.)

To all whom it m/ry cancel-71,:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. J EFFERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvemen'ts in vVelocipede-Brakes,which are fully set forth in the following specification, referencebeing` had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle-head andportion of the drivewheel, showing myimproved brake attachedto the head,the position of the brake-shoe being out of contact with the wheel. Fig.2 is a similar side elevation showing t-hesame parts with't-hebrake-shoe in contact with the wheel.

- Fig. 3 is a similar View showing a modified VFigs. 1 and 2.

form of the brake-operatin g mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar elevationshowing another modified form of the brake-Operating mechanism. Fig. 5is a plan of the forms shown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 6 is a plan of theform shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a plan showing a modified form of thebrake-handle applied to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8is a detail elevation of a modification of the connection of thebrake-shoe to its lever.

A is the drive-wheel.

B is the head.

C is the brake-shoe, which in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is theterminal of the lever C', which is pivoted to the head, and in formsshown in Figs. 3 and et is an independent piece pivoted to the lever C'.

I will first describe the formsshown in The lever C is a bell-cranklever pivoted to the head, at the lower end thereof, immediately abovethe fork, being` in that respect similar to the common form ofbicycle-brakes. At the upper end, instead of having the brake-level'engaging it, as in the customary form, it is connected at d' by the linkD' to the link D, which is pivoted to the head at d. The sum of thelengths of these two links D and D' should be slightly greater than thedistance between their pivots d and d', respectively, when the brake isin closestcontact with the wheel; but said sum should be suffioientlygreater than said distance so that the pivot dl, which Connects the twolinks, cannot be depressed below a straight line between the pivots dd'. In this form the brake-handle is most conveniently located at ornear the pivot dm, and that pivot may itself be produced laterally toform the handle. Itis immaterial upon which of the links D D' the handleis Secured; but it is illustrated as Secured to the link D near thepivot dl. An obvious modification of this construction consists informing the pivot d as a rock-shaft, of which the link D then becomes alever-arm, and in providing` said rock-shaft with a second leVer-arm,D2, at a convenient position to serve as a handle. This construction isillustrated in Fig. 7. In either construction the brake is operated bydepressing the junctionof the links D D', Whether that is accomplishedby rocking the rock-shaft pivot of the link D or directly depressing thepivot dl. 4

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the action is substantially the same, theposition of the several pivots only being changed, the leverarm D10 ofthe bell-crank lever D10 D11 corresponding in function perfectly to thelink D' in Figs. 1 and 2. This form, however, is particularly adapted tobe used with the ordinary form of horizontal brake-lever shown in Fig.6, such brake-lever engaging the upper end of the arm D11 in the samemanner as in the customary construction it engages the upper end of thedirect brake, and by pushing that upper end outward depresses the brake.In this construction the sum of the lengths of the link D' and the armD10 should be slightly greater than the distance between the pivots d'and d, said pivots corresponding precisely to the similarly letteredpivots in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a roller, E, is substituted for the link D,and the form of the lever O is changed, so that the track e of theroller E upon the upper edge of said le- Ver makes nearly a right anglewith a line through the pivots cl dm, and the sum of the lengths of theradius of the roller E and the lever-arm D10 is very slightly greaterthan the distance from the pivot d10 to the track e when the brake-shoeis in closest contact with the wheel. It will be noticed that the actionof this form is substantially the same as that of the form shown inFigs. 3 and 4, and in all of these forms the purpose of the constructionadopted is to reach the maximum eftective- IOO ness of pressure appliedto the brake-handle, for the purpose of producing pressure upon thewheel by means of the brake-shoe at the instant of contact of thebrake-shoe and the wheel, so that very slight pressure by the hand ofthe operator upon the handle Will suflice to apply a powerful pressureto the wheel. In order to obtain this result, it Will be noticed that itis necessary in all these constructions to employ, besides the leverwhich carries the brake-shoe, an auxiliary lever pivoted on the head andin the same vertical plane, and communicating pressure to thebrake-carrying lever by means of an intermediate piece which isconnected to or in contact with said lever, so that the distance tracedfrom the pivot of the said auxiliary lever through the point ofconnection of said intermediate piece With said lever to its connectionor contact With the brake-carrying lever shall be slightly greater thanthe direct distance from the pivot of the auxiliary lever on the head tothe contact of the intermediate piece With the brake-carrying lever Whenthe brake is on the Wheel.

The brake-shoe in all these Constructions may be either rigid With thelever C or pivoted to it. The advantage of pivoting it is that it mayreadily adjust itself to the Wheel, and thereby obtain more completecontact with it as it is pressed upon it; but in order that it may nothav'e any tendency to dig its rear end into the rubber tire I prefer tointerpose between it and the lever O the springs c' cl, one before andone behind its pivot. The Spring cl should either be stronger or fartherfrom its pivot than the Spring c', in order that the tendency of theshoe shall be to press by its forward end, rather than its rear end,upon the tire, but so that as pressure is applied suifieiently to causethe spring cl to yield it may .come down onto the tire throughout itsentire length. The advantage of the rear spring, c', is, that it permitsthe shoe to be so hung that in its normal. position throughout almostits entirc length it shall contact with the tirc when first brought intocontact With it, and yet shall not be in danger of digging into it atthe rear end. Instead of this spring, there may be employed a positivestop to check the action of the Spring cm at a position such that thedesired amount of contact of the shoe With the tire may be obtained.Such a stop is illustratcd in Fig. 8, consisting of the protuberance cfrom the under side of the lever (l.`

I claim- 1. In a Veloeipede, in combination with the wheel and the head,the brake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever,also pivoted to the head, and an interniediate piece pivoted to saidauxiliary lever and actuating the brakecarrying lever, the distance fromthe pivot of the auxiliary lever to the contact of said intermediatepiece With the brake-carrying lever, When the brake-shoe is in closestcontact With the Wheel, being nearly equal to the sum of the distancesfrom the pivot of said auxiliary lever on the head to the pivot to saidlever of the intermediate piece and the distance from the last-namedpivot to the contact of the intermediate piece With the brake-carryinglever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination With the Wheel and the head, the brake-carrying leverpivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever, also pivoted to the head,and a link connecting said auxiliary lever to the brake-carrying lever,the sum of the lengths of said link and the auxiliary lever beingslightly greater than the distance between their pivots to saidbrake-carrying lever and head, respectively, When the brakeshoe is incontact With the wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a velocipede, in combination With the wheel and the head, thebrake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and an auxiliary lever, alsopivoted to the head, the brake-carrying lever having an upwardly-exte ncl in g arm, and a link connect-cd from said arm to the auxiliarylever,the sum of the lengths of said links and auxiliary lever being slightlygreater th an the distance from the pivot of the auxiliary lever on thehead to the pivot of the link to the brake-carrying leverwhen thebrake-shoe is in contact With the Wheel, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4:. In a velocipede, in combination With the head and the Wheel, thebrake-carrying lever pivoted to the head, and the brake-shoe pivoted tosaid lever, and a spring reacting between the shoe and the lever forwardof the pivot of the shoe to force the shoe toward the Wheel, and. a stopto limit such movement of the shoe about its pivot, suhstantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

5. In a velocipcdc, in combination With the Wheel and the head,the'brake-carrying lever having the brake-shoe pivoted to it andprovided With two springs, one in front and one behind its pivot,reacting between it and the lever, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I hercunto set my hand, in the presence of twoWitnesses, at Chicago, this 11th day of June, 1888.

TIIOS. l. JEFFERY.

XVitnesses:

(lims. S. BURToN, E. F. BURTON.

IOO

IIO

